#ill advised terrible ships

[thrillhoues]

Always surprise me that Hiram / Archie didn't blow up during the height of Riverdale. It's such a dumb crackship that coulda become huge

[warsofasoiaf]

Thoughts on the Trump tariffs now that they've happened? Do they have any actual efficiency or is just really dumb? Also as a foreign relations guy I'd like to know how you think this will impact the US's relationship with Canada and Mexico.

Tariffs can have their uses and costs as well. Typically, consumers end up bearing the brunt of tariff costs as businesses impacted by the tariffs raise their prices to compensate for the increased cost of business. So a tariff policy voices that "the benefit that we reap from this policy is worth the addition to the cost of living." Typically you can use tariffs either as a coercive diplomatic measure, such as punishing a bad actor without rising to the levels of sanctions or countering price dumping. Another reason might include protecting domestic industry as it builds itself (the infant industry hypothesis), essentially ensuring that an industry can build itself up without getting outcompeted. Finally, tariffs are sometimes used to maintain domestic production in the interest of national security (the same reason why some countries nationalize their energy sector).

None of these reasons apply to Trump tariff policies. His tariffs are far too broad to build up individual industries or in maintaining a domestic industrial base - you'd want to use tariffs against specific industries for that rather than a broad 25%. Neither are they very useful as a coercive measure - Canada and Mexico abide by the trade agreement he negotiated back in his first term and so his broad tariffs aren't like to have the effect he desires - and levying tariffs against allies like Canada and Mexico only decrease pressure for bad actors like China to reform, since they gain soft power at American expense. The Canadian tariffs are particularly ill-conceived, because the amount of fentanyl moving across the border between Canada and the United States (an explicit reason Trump created the tariff policy) is very small. Tariffs are also not a very lucrative source of revenue, since the tariffed countries typically respond with retaliatory tariffs and direct most of their trade elsewhere. Some markets can respond faster than others - oil typically needs pipelines to move in bulk which makes it harder to redirect petroleum trade, but things that are primarily moved in bulk by cargo ship can easily sell to other nations provided they have a large enough customer base.

However, tariffs are very useful for scapegoat politics, painting a certain group as responsible for societal ills and enacting a policy to punish them to deliver to your base. Tariffs are a lot like rent control, distorting the market which harms the market for everyone save a few key politically-connected people that can benefit, justified through their supposed impact against an undesirable class. In this sense, the policies are painted as correctives against a parasitic caste exploiting the citizenry - hence why these types of policies are popular with populists who specialize in low-information voters.

Trump's tariffs aren't going to accomplish their objectives, and are a terrible policy idea. They're going to raise the cost of living and benefit very few. I'd advise stocking up on dry goods - food's probably going to get more expensive in the coming days.

Thanks for the question, Cubismo.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[teeny-tiny-revenge]

Came across this in a fic again and I have to vent for a moment here: Ed's hair isn't unclean or not taken care of. Ever. Even at his lowest, in the first two episodes of season two, his hair is light and blows with the wind, it's got perfect waves, there is zero grime in it. Impossible Birds Ed hair has clearly been fairly recently washed, combed out and conditioned. Ed canonically loves soap, and you don't get that hair without owning a comb or brush and frequently working oil into it. He's at sea! The air is salty! It'll dry out your hair, but Ed's hair doesn't ever look dried out. The day he decides to commit suicide he puts his hair up into a lovely bun, with whispy stands framing his face. I have no idea what some people are watching, because Ed taking meticulous care (and most likely also putting pride and love) into his hair is clear, on-screen canon.

Like, if you want to write about how he was neglecting himself in his depression Kraken era? There's plenty there for you on screen as well! He sobs all night, probably sleeps on the floor if he sleeps at all. He doesn't wear his knee brace. He drinks and does drugs (and admits to that being poison to Frenchie!). He's pushing everyone away, he's pushing himself hard into a role that made him passively suicidal even before the breakup depression. He doesn't watch his back during raids At All. There's so much self harm there to address. If you want to, it would probably be plausible to add him not bothering to properly care for any wounds he might obtain during a raid. But he clearly doesn't neglect bathing and hair care. They're probably the only elements of self-care he actually still does during this dark time!

Even rock bottom Ed doesn't neglect his hair. And that says things about him! It's also something I'd love to see actually addressed in fic (will probably write it myself one of these days...): Taking good care of his hair, putting on jewelry, doing his makeup, these are things that seem to bring Ed joy or relief in his darkest moments. Where's my fic about these quiet moments of self-care being a straw he clutches to when everything else is terrible?

I love a good bathing together/doing each other's hair fic. It's intimate and loving! And Stede and Ed are prime material to write a mutual caretaking and bonding over it couple! Ed canonically loves soap and taking care of his hair! And Stede brought an entire fucking bathtub on a ship, the wonderful madman. S1 Stede's hair is always carefully curled, and we know that's not its natural state (it's wavy but not in this manner) from seeing him in S2, away from his certainly plentiful bath and grooming equipment. Stede probably has an hour of daily hair routine! We know he has nice smelling, probably expensive soaps. Where's the fic where they share in this?

There's so much potential! They can show each other their favourite care products! Sometimes they'll work on each other and sometimes not at all! Ed's rich hair oils will make Stede's hair all sticky and weird! Ed will think it's hilarious and adorable, he'll try to ruffle his hair and make it stick up worse and Stede will pout! 🥺 He'll look like this, just with weird spiky hair! One ill-advised day they try putting Stede's curlers in Ed's hair and then they almost can't get them back out because Ed's hair is so long and has lots of natural wave and it'll cling to the curlers and it's awful (they laugh about it afterwards, once Ed has very carefully brushed his hair out again and it no longer pulls at his scalp).

Makeup was a thing done by men and women at the time, especially for aristocrats (as seen in Episode 5), so Stede will know his way around hoity toity makeup, meaning rouges and whites (contained lots of lead, yuck!). Meanwhile Ed does pirate costume makeup for Blackbeard endeavours, that's a whole different thing. And both of these are makeups they don't actually enjoy doing (Stede avoids heavy makeup for the party, and Ed's Kraken makeup is part of his whole Everything Is Awful And I'm Making Myself Feel That look). But we see Ed do nice makeup that seems to be him! On his supposed to be final day on Earth, he cleans away all the Kraken coal, he cleans up his cabin, he gets rid of drugs, booze, Izzy (everything that was harming him), he does up his hair really nice and in a style that's very much Not Blackbeard, and he puts on a gorgeous bit of eyeliner that really brings out his eyes. And now that they're safe and happy together, when Ed decides he wants to look pretty today, not only can Stede lose his marbles over the look, Ed can also show him how to make his own eyes pop like that. They can stand in front of their mirror together, giggling and trying not to poke anyone in the eye.

Like. This is a fancy bathroom items for fancy bathroom items couple. They will bond over their love of bubble baths and nice smelling soaps and soft oils for hair and skin! They will learn each other's routines and how to do them just right for them. Let Stede learn that Ed loves his baths scalding hot (Stede has to wait a while for it to cool before he joins him in the tub because he'll get all pink and lightheaded). Let Ed learn how to put in Stede's curlers for him if Stede wants his hair to look extra fluffy the next day. Let Ed learn to massage Stede's back and Stede learn to massage Ed's knee. There's so much potential for loving caretaking with this ship. The trope doesn't at all require Ed to not know or not want to take care of his hair and hygiene. Fuck's sake.

[lochyratliffs]

would you call it ( what Lochlan did) sexual assault? By legal definition it is. Is it sexual assault in Saxon’s mind?

in the aftermath absolutely fucking not because i don't think saxon could ever conceive of himself as someone who experienced sexual assault. completely setting aside saxon's behaviour leading up to everything that happened, the catalysts, a lifetime of implied emotional incest between EVERY PERSON in this cult-family, i just genuinely believe that saxon feels violated by the handjob but more disgusted by himself. to be entirely honest, i was really surprised in joining the ship community here that there are so many people who are staunchly opposed to discussing the consent dynamics, when i was absolutely fascinated by them during my watch. ultimately, every person in that bedroom was high out of their minds-- the fact that saxon was hit the hardest by the molly doesn't mean that lochlan and chloe were any better off. they all took the same drug, and they all drank before and after consuming it. there's a very big difference between a sober person assaulting someone they got drunk/high, and a group of high and drunk people engaging in ill-advised sex.

WHICH IS NOT TO SAY that saxon is wrong for feeling violated. there is a reason that the full-moon night was shot and revealed the way it was, which is that mike white wanted these discussions to happen. neither the viewers nor the characters actually know what was happening on a play-by-play basis that night. saxon wakes up and realizes something horrible happened and has never done drugs before. this is, genuinely, the worst case of hangxiety i have ever seen, and for good reason!! but then we see him realize what choices he made that led to this happen, and in a round-about way confront his own desires, whether that's actually desiring lochlan sexually OR having recognized he, as a man almost a decade older than his brother, has spent the last week teaching his brother how to be a sex pest, and realizing he was the victim of his own teachings. BOTH of these interpretations are reasonable with what we see on screen. regardless of how self-aware you interpret saxon to be, he becomes brutally aware of what he's been doing-- that's where the entire "worship me" rationalization begins. and part of that is saxon trying to recognize himself as someone who experienced what he experienced without compromising his status as a "man," which, in his mind, means he can not have been a victim of assault, especially not by his younger brother, with all that implies.

i will never say that saxon asked for it. i'm not going to make light of the politics of consent. i am not above looking at lochlan as someone who has done something terrible. the key point here is that this fictional scenario is ripe for interpretation, and this is precisely WHY this storyline aired on water-cooler TV.

at the same time, you can't divorce the outcome from the choices made. if you think saxon was stripped naked by another person and forced into the room where he had previously orchestrated his little brother to lose his virginity, where he essentially auctioned it off to a woman around his same age, where he encouraged his brother at every turn to be sexual, to show off to saxon, to become a man in the way that saxon sees a man to be, to jerk off naked and be territorial around his brother, i just... do not know what to say to you. my perspective? this storyline was perfectly orchestrated to make us question consent and our own biases. why is it okay for saxon to engage in overtly sexual conversations and behaviour with his younger brother, but not for lochlan to respond to that with like behaviour? why is it okay for lochlan to cross a sexual boundary that should be obvious to anyone with siblings, but not okay for saxon to have done something similar in the first episode? is physical touch the line between siblings? is emotional dependence the line? is neediness what sets lochlan apart, or is it sexual desire? did saxon sexually desire lochlan, or was it all patriarchal mind games that went horribly wrong? all of this is up in the air, and for anyone to lay down an objective truth is impossible because the nature of the show is that it's interpretable. it's meant to be provocative, and incest is the most provocative of all. all we can do is look at what we've been shown, and interpret it, even if you disagree. in short, looking at the full-moon night divorced from every other episode is insane. it will never give you the full picture. if you haven't already learned to expect this from the white lotus, the rest of the show is probably not for you.

[lottiesnotebook]

OC Tag Game

Thank you, @dialmformud for the tag, and for introducing us to the gorgeous Sparrow! Now, you know her, some of you even love her, it's my Horrible Nepo Rook, Cara Hawke Laidir!

General

Name: Cara Bettina Hawke-Laidir

Alias: Rook, Princess, Carissima

Gender: Cis woman (she/her)

Age: 23

Languages: Trade Tongue, a smattering of Rivaini and Tevine

Sexual orientation: Chaotically bisexual

Occupation: Lord of Fortune

Favorite

Color: Turquoise and gold

Entertainment: Dancing, breaking wards, and finding new streetfood to try

Pastimes: Sailing, riding, and anything else that doesn't involve sitting still for too long.

Food: Hot chocolate, banana bread, tiramisu

Drink: She has her own personal cocktail concocted by @the-font-bandit which I will be trying on Friday that involves rum, honey, lime, cherries, and glitter, all of which I think she would LOVE.

Has She

Passed university: She stopped attending school at the age of nine when her father blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall and she and her mother went on the run, so no, she's never been to university. XD As a Lord of Fortune she has studied with some Rivaini seers, though, and she is a particularly talented spirit mage (due to being half-spirit, which is cheating)

Had sex: YEP. I feel like by the time she has to leave the Lords of Fortune to help Varric out, she's cut a bit of a swathe through everyone vaguely attracted to her, leaving a trail of hearts broken to various degrees in her wake. Isabela unfortunately thinks this is funny and will Not rein her in.

Had sex in public: Yeah she has no sense of shame and loves an adventure.

Got piercings: She looooves jewellery, so she has her ears, nose, lower lip, and belly button pierced, and usually has ridiculous hoop or medallion earrings in.

Got tattoos: A little compass on her shoulder, a ship on her right thigh

Ever been heartbroken: The (as yet unnamed) member of the Lords of Fortune who broke up with her right before she was (temporarily) kicked out was her first ex to get angry enough to actually list her flaws. She was blindsided both by the breakup and by someone systemically laying out everything terrible about her so neatly and irrefutably, and this idea of her own toxicity definitely contributed to how badly she misjudged the situation that got her sent to stay with Uncle Varric for a little bit…

Is She

A cuddler: She loves to be snuggled up and initiates 90% of the cuddlepiles that occur when she and the Veilguard are camping.

Scared easily: Not much scares Cara, but fire scares her to the point where she won't use it in spells, and she'll freeze up for a second if it shows up in a fight unexpectedly.

Jealous easily: Romantically or sexually, no. In general, she can be a little:

Trustworthy: Cara is neither particularly trustworthy nor particularly dependable, partially due to being a spoilt princess and partially due to being a born Slitherer Outer (a la Book!Howl MovingCastle). She will help in the end, but only if she has no other choice or has tricked herself into believing it's the only option.

Family

Parents/Close relatives: The daughter of my Rhiannon Hawke, Anders, and Justice, she's born after an ill-advised Deep Roads hook-up and her parents get married when she's about two. She screams through the whole wedding. <3

Siblings: Considers Orana her adopted older sister.

Children: I have not considered Cara with kids, predominantly because I don't think any children deserve to have her inflicted upon them. It might happen eventually, but it will either be Definitely An Accident or because Neve or Lucanis bring home a kid and That's That.

Pets: Collects wisps, stray cats, and one (1) wyvern with gleeful abandon until they run out of space.

Tagging @adainesjacket, @the-font-bandit, @teine-mallaichte (if you haven't done this for Storm yet), @kierarhawke, @the-bear-and-his-sunbird, and @griffongrey if you want to play too.

[commehter]

Hi! I just started (and finished) reading “In Blue and White” and first of all let me just say that I’m loving it (immediately subscribed!)! I just wanted to ask if the Aang x Zuko will always be one-sided or not? It’s concept isn’t something I’ve seen before and I’m already invested!

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying In Blue and White!

The plan is for the attraction to stay one-sided. Aang is twelve-going-on-thirteen and Zuko sees her as 'a child' rather than 'three-to-four years younger.'

If the story continues far enough into the future for Zuko to have an 'oh, she grew up' sort of realization, then there might be some potential.

I'm currently debating the possibility of an open-ended epilogue. It would allow for each reader to have their own headcanon for how things continue past what's written. That's probably the most fun for everyone.

Author becomes a real Debbie Downer below the cut.

Unfortunately, the more I think about it, the more any potential romance between the two seems doomed to be the tragic kind. The politics of the Fire Lord and the Avatar getting married would be messy if not impossible, and I don't see Zuko as the kind that would be satisfied with an Air-Nomad-style arrangement. (I'm not terribly convinced Aang would be totally happy with that, either.) And that's before getting into any of the division that would be created in their household as a result of having different expectations of their children based upon bending abilities. (The Fire Nation needs royal heirs for stability vs. rebuilding some kind of airbender culture/nation.)

Long story short, Zuko and Aang both have important duties that do not always align. (Theoretically, Zuko could leave the throne to someone else, but I don't see it happening given his personality.) The inevitable conflicts in their responsibilities would make any romantic relationship between them difficult, stressful, and ultimately ill-advised.

It's a real pity because the more I write of In Blue and White, the more I ship them, too.

[countrymusiclover]

30 - King in the North

Part 31

The Lion Knight and Dragon Princess

Tags- just send an ask to be added @cdragons @kmc1989 @starkleila @noirrose21-blog @lover-of-books-and-tea

Tyrion, Jaime and I were standing with some of my sister's soldiers and her advisor watching a small ship coming up to shore.  Tyrion smiled at a man with thick black hair tied back in a bun. “The bastard of Winterfell.”

“The dwarf of Casterly Rock.” The strange man nodded his head to the dwarf. 

Tyrion extended his hand to him. “I believe we last saw each other atop the Wall.”

“You were pissing off the edge if I remember right. Picked up some scars along the road.” He shook his hand. 

Tyrion glanced between me and Jaime seeing Jon’s partner that had stepped foot on the island. “It's been a long road, but we're both still here. I'm Tyrion Lannister, this is my brother Jaime and his wife Vaella Targaryen.” 

“Davos Seaworth.” The elderly man introduced himself. 

The youngest Lannister remarked. “Ah, the Onion Knight. We fought on opposite sides at the Battle of Blackwater Bay.”

“Unluckily for me.” Davos said back to him. 

Jon sent a slight glare to my husband. “Your son killed my father.” 

“He did, yes.” Jaime nervously answered. 

Stepping forward in front of the two boys I introduced myself to the Northern man knowing the conversation could go even more tense the longer it went on between them. “Jon Snow, my name is Vaella Targaryen,  now Lannister.  I know you have Ill feelings towards my husband but I hope once you get to know him and I that you’re opinion will change.” Jon simply nodded his head at me with no verbal reply. 

Tyrion turned his head to the taller dark skin woman. “Missandei is the queen's most trusted advisor.”

“Welcome to Dragonstone. Our queen knows it is a long journey. She appreciates the efforts you have made on her behalf. If you wouldn't mind handing over your weapons.” Her advisor explained and our entire group made our way up the long steps in the direction of the Dragonstone castle. 

Tyrion and Jon were walking in front of me and Jaime giving me the opportunity to listen into their conversation. “Sansa? I hear she's alive and well.” 

“She is.”

He asked his other friend. “Does she miss me terribly? A sham marriage. And unconsummated.”

“I didn't ask.”

Poking Tyrion in the back with my index finger I couldn’t resist teasing him about the eldest Stark daughter. “You like her don’t you?” 

“She’s a wonderful girl who was tormented by horrible people.” My friend replied to my question. 

Jaime smirked down at me the second the words left my mouth. “You slept with her didn’t you?” 

“It was. Wasn't.” Tyrion glared back at me. “Darn you, Vae! Why would you ask me that?”

Unable to hold back my laughter, a huge grin graced my face. “Because you wouldn’t have asked about her if you didn’t care about her.” 

“Anyway... she's much smarter than she lets on.” Tyrion cleared his throat to change the conversation. 

Jon spoke up. “She's starting to let on.”

“At some point, I want to hear how a Night's Watch recruit became King in the North.” Tyrion eyed the taller man beside him. 

“As long as you tell me how a Lannister became Hand to Daenerys Targaryen.”

Tyrion dryly chuckled. “A long and bloody tale. To be honest, I was drunk for most of it.”

Jon glanced back at me still trying to figure me out. “How exactly have you been alive all this time?  We were told everyone in the Targaryen line had been wiped out.” 

Tucking hair behind my ear. “It’s a long story but let’s just say I owe my life to this one.” Looping my arm through Jaime’s I laid my head on his shoulder while we kept walking behind them. 

“My bannermen think I'm a fool for coming here.” 

The dwarf concealed his friend. “Of course they do. If I was your Hand, I would have advised against it. General rule of thumb-- Stark men don't fare well when they travel south.”

“True... but I'm not a Stark.” Hearing a dragon shrieking above our heads causing Jon and Davos to drop to the ground seeing a huge smile grace my face watching one of my sisters dragons fly up to the top of the castle. 

Tyrion offered his hand helping Jon up from the stone ground escorting him inside the castle with the rest of us following in toe. “I'd say you get used to them... but you never really do.”

MISSANDEI introduces my sister while Jaime and I stood in the corner of the room by her throne just watching. “You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains.”

“This is Jon Snow. He's King in the North.” Ser Davos gave him a much shorter introduction. 

Daenerys nods to him. “Thank you for traveling so far, my lord. I hope the seas weren't too rough.”

“The winds were kind, Your Grace.”

Davos corrected her. “Apologies, I have a Flea Bottom accent, I know, but Jon Snow is King in the North, Your Grace.”

“Your Grace, this is Ser Davos Seaworth.” Tyrion noticed my sisters confused expression. 

“Forgive me, Ser Davos. I never did receive a formal education, but I could have sworn I read the last King in the North was Torrhen Stark, who bent the knee to my ancestor, Aegon Targaryen. In exchange for his life and the lives of the Northmen, Torrhen Stark swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity. Or do I have my facts wrong?”

Davos shrugged. “I wasn't there, Your Grace.”

“No, of course not. But still, an oath is an oath. And perpetuity means-- what does perpetuity mean, Lord Tyrion?” She eyes my friend. 

“Forever.” Tyrion replied. 

She focused back on Jon Snow. “So I assume, my lord...you're here to bend the knee.” 

“I am not.” Jon uttered where the color in my face went almost white as a ghost and Jaime sucked in a nervous breath.  We knew better than him not to defy her, hell the only reason we weren’t still fighting was because his arrival was announced. 

“Oh. Well, that is unfortunate. You've traveled all this way to break faith with House Targaryen?” She put her hands together in her lap. 

Jon reminded her the horrible things our father had done to his family. “Break faith? Your father burned my grandfather alive. He burned my uncle alive. He would have burned the Seven Kingdoms--” 

“My father... was an evil man. On behalf of House Targaryen...I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family. And I ask you not to judge a daughter by the sins of her father.” She sent the man of the North a sympathetic look. “Our two houses were allies for centuries, and those were the best centuries the Seven Kingdoms have ever known. Centuries of peace and prosperity with a Targaryen sitting on the Iron Throne and a Stark serving as Warden of the North. I am the last Targaryen, Jon Snow. Honor the pledge your ancestor made to mine. Bend the knee and I will name you Warden of the North. Together, we will save this country from those who would destroy it.”

Jon looks at his boots briefly. “You're right. You're not guilty of your father's crimes. And I'm not beholden to my ancestor's vows.”

“Then why are you here?” She asked him. 

Jon replied to her. “Because I need your help, and you need mine.”

“Did you see three dragons flying overhead when you arrived?  And did you see the Dothraki, all of whom have sworn to kill for me? But still, I need your help?” 

“Not to defeat Cersei. You could storm King's Landing tomorrow and the city would fall. Hell, we almost took it and we didn't even have dragons.” Davos entered their conversation again. 

“Almost.” Tyrion pointed out. 

Jon takes a few steps closer to her throne. “But you haven't stormed King's Landing. Why not? The only reason I can see is you don't want to kill thousands of innocent people. It's the fastest way to win the war, but you won't do it, which means, at the very least, you're better than Cersei.”

“Still, that doesn't explain why I need your help.” Dany raised a brow at him and I wasn’t sure where he was going with his statements either. 

Jon boldly insulted her where I bit my lip a little harshly drawing some blood afraid for his safety. “Because right now, you and I and Cersei and everyone else, we're children playing at a game, screaming that the rules aren't fair.”

“You told me you liked this man.” Dany spared a glance to her Hand. 

Tyrion didn’t remove his gaze from Jon. “ I do.”

“In the time since he's met me, he's refused to call me queen, he's refused to bow, and now he's calling me a child.” She raised her voice annoyed by the bastard before her. 

Tyrion stuck up for his friend. “I believe he's calling all of us children. Figure of speech.”

“Your Grace, everyone you know will die before winter's over if we don't defeat the enemy to the north.” 

She hated her teeth. “As far as I can see, you are the enemy to the north.”

“I am not your enemy. The dead are the enemy.” Jon takes a step closer to her. 

Daenerys gave him a baffled look. “The dead? Is that another figure of speech?”

“The Army of the Dead is on the march.  The white walkers are real.  The night king is real and we have to stop them before everyone is Westeros is killed because of them.”

Jaime finally spoke back to the man of the North. “The White Walkers aren’t real.  They’re just stories we tell children to make sure they behave or at least stay away from the Wall.” 

“I understand why you wouldn’t believe it.  I didn’t believe it until I faced them myself.” Jon shifted his gaze looking for my opinion. “Queen Vaella, what do you think about what I’m telling you?” 

My sister snapped. “She’s not a Queen.” 

“The black crown sitting on her head makes me think she is.  She is also your older sister is she not.  She shares your Taragaryn blood.” Jon points out not sensing the tension between my sister and I yet I had so I reached up removing the crown, letting it drop from my hand as I strided out of the room without another word. 

“I shouldn’t be here, King Jon.  Forgive me, I must go check on my children.” 

Jaime barely remained still for a second running after me sensing something had upset me. “Vaella!” 

[sweet-s0rr0w]

You recs are lovely thank you so much for your effort

Oh, anon, thank you so much! I'm not sure if you're referring to my travel reclists (which badly need updating, wah) or because you saw my (ill advised and rapidly deleted) reply to the rude anon I got the other day who accused me of only reccing my friends' fics. The third ask like that I've had in two years, how delightful! But either way, thank you anon, what a lovely message and it made me feel all warm and appreciated <3

This whole 'you only rec your friends' stuff is especially funny to me because a lot of the fics I regularly rec are written by people I started chatting to because I specifically DMd them like a fangirl after loving something they wrote. So reccing my friends then becomes sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, iyswim! So with exactly that in mind, and for you, lovely anon, here are a few 2023 recs of fics by friends who I made exactly like that AND the first of their fics that made me laugh, cry and jump into their DMs:

🌟Terrible People by @wolfpants and @getawayfox (E, 53k) I finished this a couple of days ago at ridiculous o'clock in the morning, and it was so worth the lost sleep! Cruise ship antics, very lush and vibrant, with a big travel component, truth or dare and some meddling (but endearing) friends!

😍First met Wolf because I loved The Hollow (E, 13k, Dremus)

🌟LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 43k), an absolute favourite from this year's Wireless featuring impeccable California vibes, magical films, sex magic, and some brilliant OCs (eg. the unforgettable Eldritch Horror librarian).

😍First met El because I loved A Case of You (E, 97k)

🌟Rich Friend by @sorrybutblog (E, 19k), wealthy louche non-magic-using musician Dragon (Draco) brings Harry on tour. Banter and feelings and excellent smut ensue!

😍 First met iota because I loved Not Nineteen Forever (E, 6k)

🌟The Sun, Shining Above You by @oknowkiss (E, 15k), one of my faves from Dronarry fest, Drarry to Dronarry, with absolute chefskiss past one-night-stand Dron, plus a little bonus Charlie (who doesn't love bonus Charlie?!)

😍 First met Elaine because I loved any day now (E, 17k)

🌟Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses (M, chapter 3/9, currently 11k, WIP - but completed bar editing). Non-magical AU where Drarry are rivals competing for the final seat in the Oxford boat for the famous race against Cambridge. Brilliant slow-burn, and the characters feel really close to canon despite the obvious location difference. (and this one is the fic that had me DMing citrusses!)

Anyone else want to tell me about fics they read that were so good they couldn't help jumping into someone's DMs to make friends?

[wings-of-flying]

a summary of all that's happened so far in my fic where sea meets shore (link at the bottom) but i'm silly goofy about it (spoilers, ofc)

up to the current chapter (19)

part one: rosebud

prince chip's last search for his father is cut short by a storm. he falls into the water

jay arrives at whitethorne castle in rose kingdom and hears the prince is missing

chip wakes on the beach and meets the figure who saved him, but they're interrupted before they can be introduced

later in the day, chip returns to the beach and, with help from marshal john, brings a newly injured triton back to the castle

gillion paces the room he's been put in, regretting his decision to help, then chip enters with jay, who can speak primordial, allowing them to communicate

flashback to how gillion ended up in this mess, we see the deal with niklaus, who has the additional title of 'sea witch'. niklaus offers to help gill fulfil his prophecy and, after some convincing, gill agrees. niklaus' deal lets gill understand common and know where to go (whitethorne castle) at the cost of an unspecified favour

after rolin loffin reinstates himself as royal advisor, chip officially meets gillion and jay and they arrange to travel to whitethorne village

during this village, jay connects with john over their shared past connections to raft's navy and a letter from general lizzie lafayette shocks john

meanwhile, gillion and chip are dancing and getting closer despite the language barrier

the letter turns out to say that, though lizzie's journey to canella successfully converted the island to a rose ally, raft's navy swept in and killed a bunch of the crew. lizzie will be returning with the few survivors

and she does, with caspian and a surprise addition of a small boy named oliver. while chip has an issue with this, lizzie has more of an issue with the fact chip's allowed a ferin and a champion of the undersea into the castle

a tense dinner introduces gillion and jay to the new arrivals (minus ollie). gill and caspian hit it off, considering caspian can also speak primordial. jay, alternatively, has a glaring match with the general (she loses)

that evening, chip and jay connect over their shared losses of family, and they mourn drey ferin (who both were close with). chip doesn't think lizzie's disapproval of jay will last

a ball is arranged to celebrate lizzie's return. chip and julian joke about how terrible rose's situation is, but the party goes well. until, that is, roofus makes an ill advised comment and chip is sent into a spiral about all he's lost

this is interrupted when gillion arrives, accompanied by an announcement of all his titles. he meets with chip and shortly after jay arrives

chip disappears to speak with rolin, and the remaining two are approached by caspian and lizzie. caspian and gill continue to hit it off, then jay dances with lizzie and is threatened (lizzie thinks she's a spy)

shocked and distressed, jay runs to her room and writes a letter to kira (👀)

meanwhile, chip's arguing with rolin and then sees his sister is really drunk. he leaves her in the care of caspian then hangs out with gill. ooo feelings perhaps, but only a little

the next day, chip hangs out with ollie, then the whole group goes to see the newly built ships (just finished in time for the trip to edison)

jay feels awkward and left out, while gillion seems to get on with the group. caspian takes gill aside to tell him about a spell by finn tidestrider which allows gillion to magically be translated into common

gill excitedly runs off to tell chip, but overhears a conversation chip's having with rolin where it sounds like they're agreeing to keep gillion as leverage over the undersea

chip tells rolin off, but the damage is already done. gill is pissed

the next morning, when caspian and lizzie have left, chip finds gillion's coated the ballroom in ice. they duel over gill's honour, and this is only interrupted when jay breaks them apart

chip storms off to be healed by rudith

jay tells gillion to stay where he is and meet her in the library. he does not, instead trying to find chip and make amends (chip's set to leave for edison today). he gets distracted by a painting of the late king beau rose, and notices a silhouette in the background of the portrait with horns... john arrives and tells gill that chip's already left

jay meets with gillion, then packs her bags

chip stares angstily into the sea as his ship leaves

someone known only as 'the dagger' waits in his office, for an informant to arrive. the game begins

part two: falling petals

jay and gillion are hiding in a crate on chip's new unnamed ship. they're quickly discovered and chip is not happy, but they've made it to edison. john offhandedly reveals he knew jay was planning to run away

jay's very excited to be in edison with all its technology, and the gang are led in by guards sent from edison palace, including one named dominic

slight problem, jay and gillion are unexpected, so there aren't enough beds. this is resolved relatively quickly, but chip is suspicious of the butler, garrieth, who claims the king is 'unwell' and thus unable to meet them yet

jay calls gillion 'gill' for the first time. gill realises maybe there's more to his prophecy than preventing war in the oversea

after a nightmare about her sister, as well as chip and gill's duel, jay connects with dominic in the corridor

chip writes to rolin about the issue with the king and sneaks out to deliver it disguised as john. he overhears that raft soldiers have been spotted in edison, and that the king hasn't been meeting with anyone for ages

jay, gill and dominic go out to get gillion new clothes. gillion gets a vision from niklaus, showing the last time he met with edyn

rolin's reply to chip's letter is concerningly brief

jay goes out with dominic again a few days later, and they connect on a deeper level and kiss. dominic confesses wanting to run away, and asks her to accompany him. she's conflicted

to be continued...

[dionadaiir]

𝑬𝑿 𝑻𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑹. 𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑬 𝑹𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑨𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑽𝑰𝑺𝑻. 𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑳𝑨𝑾 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹.

a dragon age verse loved and crafted by Jackie.

Eden is the Inquisition's bartender and cook. Eden MacTavish was born to a noble family in Starkhaven. His father Charles MacTavish is a long time friend of the Vael family and serves as one of their advisors. Eden remembers visiting the Vael home many times as a child. Sadly, his father died when he was young child from an illness. His mother, instead of wallowing in the grief of losing her husband; took up his position and continued to advise the Vael family. This left the MacTavish children alone for much of their childhood...

Despite losing his father, Eden's childhood was a pleasant one. His eldest sister, Mary practically raised him. She was a beautiful woman; and she loved life to the fullest. Many in Starkhaven pined for her affection but only one caught her eye. A ferelden noble named Caius Trancy. Mary was renowned in Starkhaven for her knowledge of herbs and medicine. She could be found in the small clinic helping patients. She had a terrible secret though...she was in fact a mage. This never bothered Eden. He loved his sister and fully accepted her gifts.

As Eden grew older, he had come to find that his mother arranged a marriage between Mary and the eldest Vael son. However, Mary fell in love with Caius, the Ferelden. Her mother approved of such a marriage. The merger would open up trade between Starkhaven and Ferelden. Mary and Caius wedded in the spring and they would spend their honeymoon with friends in Kirkwall. Anita offered her second eldest daughter to the Vael prince, and they were wed.

During their honeymoon, however, Mary was mysteriously murdered.

After hearing the news of her death; Eden vowed he would live up to what she wanted in life. He joined the Templar order at the age of 14 when he was old enough. He wanted to change the circles, he wanted to change the way people saw mages for it was one wish of Mary's. He would honor by changing the system and to make the circles a place of prestige where a mage could learn their trade freely and without scrutiny. If only it were that easy...

Eden served as a templar in the Starkhaven circle until it burned down. During his time there; he found it hard to change the way that others thought of mages; it discouraged him for how could they believe such things about them when Mary was so good? Eventually it lead him to being incredibly easy on his charges. He would offer words of encouragement to them, crack jokes, and tried his best to help them indirectly in their harrowing.

This earned him ridicule from his fellow templars and was often reprimanded for being too kind to the mages. This made Eden incredibly frustrated. He decided then and there that he would help mages escape the circle for it couldn't be saved. He made a secret passageway to the outside and used it to help mages escape. He hidden it with a large bookshelf. Eventually the circle burned down and Eden was shipped off to Kirkwall.

As he did in the Starkhaven circle, he began to aid the mages. This only lasted about six months before he got fed up with the chantry and the circle. He left the order to become a mage activist. He worked in the hanged man as a bartender while planning to liberate the Kirkwall circle.

His plans would never see fruition for his plans were exposed just before the chantry exploded; he went into hiding and when the circle fell, he took as many mages as he could able to hide in his parent's summer estate in Redcliffe.

His estate was burned down by rogue templars; the only plausible thing he could think of was to join the Inquisition.

==Dragon Age: Origins==

During the events of Dragon Age 1, Eden is a templar in the Starkhaven Circle. This is where he begins to show kindness to the mages. He was lenient towards his charges despite the punishments he would receive because of it.

Eden was caught by Knight Lieutenant Caius and promptly flogged in front of the entire circle as a warning to others. This is the moment when Eden decides to do more for his mages. He secretly meets with a smuggler at the pub and he works out a deal where he will aid runaway mages. Eden being the man on the inside, was able to sneak several mages out of the circle.

==Dragon Age II==

After the burning of the Starkhaven Circle, Eden is transferred to the circle in Kirkwall.

==Act 1==

Eden is still a templar and is secretly smuggling mages out of the circle.

==Act II==

Eden is found out and is kicked out of the Templar Order. He is turned mage activist and continues to help runaway mages reunite with his families while opposing Meredith's chokehold on the circle.

==Act III==

The growing tension could be felt within Kirkwall. He continued his smuggling of mages out by sending them out of Kirkwall or employing them in a small pub he opened in Lowtown. He uses it as a safe house.

Just before the explosion of the chantry, Eden was found out and became a wanted man in Kirkwall. Eden attempted to flee the city with his mages with him only to be stopped by the explosion. He was gravely hurt but he survived.

He was taken to his family's summer home where he recuperated.

==Conclave==

Eden is still wanted in Kirkwall. His remaining mages and a few templar friends decided it would be best to join the Inquisition and headed to Haven.

==Inquisition==

Eden arrived at Skyhold and began up Herald's Rest. He bartended and cooked for the Inquisition's soldiers. He uses his position to hide the fact he is wanted in Kirkwall. He also used his position to gather intel for the Inquisitor.

He only goes out into the field when he is asked to.

==Veilguard==

Having lived a few years in relative peace, Eden reunited with Varric and wanting to do good in the world, he decided to join him and Harding in finding the dread wolf. He then meets a new recruit that goes by the name Rook. Together they search for Solas to disrupt his ritual.

Eden is a companion and is found in the cellar under the dining hall, where he converts the cellar into a bar / his apartment.

[gabessquishytum]

Dreamling coded /It Happened One Night/ -- https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0025316/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Hob is the louche reporter; Dream the runaway heir(ess); Alex is ill-suited/ill-advised husband. Shenanigans and gross motels, one bed, and falling in love along the way.

Omg I love this movie!! Had to remind myself of some of the plot intricacies but!!! YES!!!!

Dream is the prissy princess heir to his family name, and he's on the run to meet his fiance who his family hate - he's SOMEHOW ended up being blackmailed by AND sharing a motel room with Hob Gadling, a reporter with no moral compass and a terrible sense of humour. HE has demanded the rights to Dream’s story in exchange for not shipping Dream right back to his family.

They had to pretend to be married in order to get the room! But don't worry, Hob has divided it in half with a blanket hung over a rope. But Dream wants to leave - he doesn't want to go to sleep and start again in the morning. Hob insists it's too late for him to be travelling now. In any case, Hob is going to bed. He'll make sure that Dream gets to Alex but now it's time to sleep.

Well, Dream isn't moving! And that's fine with Hob. He'll just have to get undressed in front of Dream. First his jacket, then his shoes, suspenders, shirt....... Dream is a chaste little virgin and at this point, he gives up and rushes to his side of the room.

But suddenly he's not thinking about Alex any more. He's thinking about Hob on the other side of the blanket, his strong arms and hairy chest.

And all Hob can think about is how a smart, gorgeous, delicious man like Dream deserves a man who will actually fight for him instead of waiting for him to do the fighting...

...a few weeks and MANY shenanigans later, Hob and Dream spend their first night as a real married couple in that very same room. Only this time, there's no blanket. And Dream isn't a chaste lil virgin any more!

[quietwings-fics]

ill-advised

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom: Doctor Who Ship: GrahamThirteen Additional Tags: Past Grace O'Brien/Graham O'Brien, Possibly Unrequited Love, Crushes, Drabble Wordcount: 100 Summary:

It's very hard not to love the Doctor, as Graham finds out.

It’s funny. The way the Doctor puts it, she’d be too old for him by far, and even funnier, he believes her. It’s the way she looks at them with guarded affection, the cold gleam that always lingers just behind her eyes.

Graham thinks they all realized a good deal ago that they were traveling with something they’d never understand. Cruel as a whip and kind as breathing and he made some terrible mistake along the way to love her.

“I’d want you to be happy,” he hopes Grace would say.

“You’d want me to be smarter,” he knows better.

(Enjoyed it? Any interaction is welcomed. You can even support me on Ko-Fi <3)

[insculpoworks]

Gamma Crusis: Prelude

The saintly star fell upon the cluster of orbitals. The looming sun of the red giant Gamma Crusis. Imposing its light on the minuscule speck where over a billion beings have chosen to reside in the face of that vast, dying star. It was a typical time cycle for the local inhabitant known as Noa, who levitated towards the panels monitoring the current flare activity. “No disturbances detected” it read. A typical cycle indeed.

Noa continued to advance in their activities, the tight and highly vertical corridors of the monitoring array built with the eventual construction of a solar mirror in mind. The project has had considerable delays due to infighting with the local asteroid harvesting communes who have Continued questions about the mirror and its intention. Much of which is due to the faction of harvesters who believe solar lifting tech is just around the corner and questioning the usefulness of a massive telescope situated at Gamma Crusis of all stars.

The shaft had finally been navigated to the proper location which Noa had sought as the final location of interest. A view at the mirror itself in construction. Noa peered out of the window, out there all one sees is a vast plain of glass with the pitch black sky only punctured by the lights of ships working on the mirror. It is a very serene sight on the whole, the gaze of Gamma Crusis is not present due to it being the “night” side of the mirror.

It was at that point Noa had been contacted by a local integrity monitor. Noa’s relief was near instantaneously punctured by one simple line-

“Noa. We have a complication.”

The frustration grew as the nature of the complication was further expressed in the form of a drone malfunction. A minor error from the stack of protocols followed by the construction drone led to it crashing into one of the support beams.

“I’ll take care of it directly.” Noa replied, knowing the task that now will absorb the whole cycle. Sending another drone is simply too ill advised. A generalized agent like themself exists to handle the convoluted tedium after all. Noa set out immediately, pulling themselves towards the airlock and donning the technician’s apparatus.

In the void, the scale of the mirror became ever clearer. The horizon was a glass horizon. The support structure the drone hit was over 7 kilometers from their location. Which was not a terribly long distance to travel using the apparatus. The journey was only half an hour.

After drifting for that half hour on the matched velocity Noa didn’t even need their sensors to see the impact. It was worse than merely a support structure beam getting mangled. The drone smashed into the damn mirror. Noa set to work immediately trying to salvage the situation.

The drone could not be salvaged.

The mirror for the whole sector was cracked, the chips and pieces kept Noa on edge as they were sharp enough to even puncture the apparatus should they be careless. Noa dodged around the large shards, never changing velocity too much and making touch down even as a sharp jagged tooth of a glass piece floated above them.

Noa got to work on the support beam itself, mending it with the graphene strand gel in short order and enameling it further with an adhesive. It was not optimal, but the alternative of disassembling hundreds of meters of mirror was simply not viable. Noa just wanted out of here. The glass shards drifting above making it clear the incident was going to need more than one mechanic with adhesives and gels. Using gels on the glass would further complicate their trajectories and be too much a liability. Noa only wanted to get back to the vertical corridors of the center monitoring tower and call in the heavy duty assistance.

But first, Noah had to take the broken beyond repair drone with them. Dislodging it was simple and the lack of gravity made it less difficult to carry in tow with the cables then it could have been.

Ascending the broken glass was all they had to do now.

The drift of the glass and timing it, navigated away from a large piece of glass that appeared to be headed towards them. The drift was anxiety inducing all the same as it glanced ever so close, this sharp broken crystal which was meant to power civilizations. Now a hazard for their own survival. Noa felt the smaller bits of glass regardless, tearing a bit on the suit. Mercifully, they managed to get out of the worst of it… the plains of solar panel blending into an indistinct bluish hue as they drift ever further upwards with the drone. The light of the recover craft illuminating behind them.

“Finally here?” Noa asked it, “I have the drone.”

Noa’s apparatus linked with the vehicle, the drone clutched in their hands. Noa would watch as they were rapidly flown back to the main control center, the simmering glimmer of the panels ever so distant now. The heat of the thrusters could be felt, but Noa didn’t hear them beyond the loose hum and vibration of the craft they are latched upon. It was strangely serene, as they watched the central tower of the power station come into view, a tower amid the ocean of solar panel below.

They finally got back to the station, drone in tow.

“Any new information?” Noa inquired.

“Nothing outside the repair crew being officially dispatched. Pending drone analysis.” the monitor replied.

The whole situation reeked of an absence. The repairs according the look up system were estimated to take 77 hours. Yet that estimate seemed painfully optimistic. The damage witnessed, the large shards floating over the sea of solar panels and the dust itself all pointed to an operation far more intensive than a mere glue operation.

Something simply didn’t make any sense.

Noa took the drone to the mechanical bay and got to work analyzing it. The drone was dead, as expected, but other strange anomalies were present. The navigation system seemed off-kilter. Which shouldn’t be possible, as these were drones specifically designed to keep the radiating heat of Gamma Crusis and its solar winds from perturbing the navigation system. Even the primitive probes the first space faring humans constructed didn’t run into that problem. Something else is tampering with it.

But what?

“The harvesters wouldn’t dare.” Noa stated out loud.

[lottiesnotebook]

Hi! You might remember me from ao3, just wanted to pop in here to compliment you again for your writing!

Then I saw your Rook as Anders/Justice and Rhiannon’s daughter and naturally I’m in love with the concept!! The idea that Anders blew up the chantry and wanted to sacrifice himself so their daughter would get to live free as a mage? He and Rhiannon falling out (and then hopefully getting back together?) Wow your mind.

Would you feel like sharing a little more about their story and how Cara was born?

Quelarie! Of course I remember you from your comments, every single one of them has been delightful and I have treasured them. Thank you so much for coming over here and asking about Cara (my Horrible Nepo Baby Rook)

@adainesjacket and I are currently working on the fic that covers Cara’s origins and what's going on with her parents during Inquisition, but the basics are:

1. Anders and Rhiannon have an ill-advised one-time hookup while they are lost in the Deep Roads and assume they are going to die. Justice does Not approve at this point, and disapproves far more when...

Three months later, Rhiannon shows up at the clinic and announces that she's having a baby whether they want to be involved or not. She's lost her father and both her siblings, and she's taking a shot at rebuilding her family while she has it. Anders is panicked but eager to be involved, Justice is Very concerned that this is a huge and terrible distraction from Mage Rights, but comes around pretty much as soon as Cara is born, because what is Justice for if not to protect the innocent?

Once Justice come around on Cara, it's much easier for him to also admit to being attached to Rhiannon, and they move into the Amell house a few months after Cara is born and make things official. It was meant to be a quiet wedding, but Cara screamed all the way through it.

Due to growing up during the better parts of DA2 to be a Hawke, Cara experiences her fair share of The Horrors of the Plot, but unlike either of her parents, grows up as the Amell granddaughter Leandra always hoped for, and is exactly as spoilt as the niece of a group of adventurers could possibly be, and indulged to ridiculous levels by all her parents.

Cara is also a mage, and a pretty powerful one as the literal child of a spirit, and when rumours of this reach Meredith's ears, she has no qualms about threatening her as a means of controlling her parents. This, in this universe, is what tips the balance for Justice and Anders to fall over into Vengeance, and to blow up the Chantry to give Meredith bigger problems than threatening their daughter.

Rhiannon could probably have coped with the terrorism, and maybe even forgiven the lying, but she cannot forgive the fathers of her child asking them to kill them, or the danger they've put Cara in. She spares their lives, tells them to clean up the mess they've made, and flees with Cara on Isabela's ship rather than with them.

Cara has... many complicated feelings about all of this by the time she and her fathers meet again.

The most fun thing about the Caraverse is that I can convince myself it is entirely canon because why on earth would Varric mention the Half Abomination Baby to the Seeker of Truth?

As for whether Rhiannon gets back together with Justice and Anders... that is actually a key plot point of the fic we are working on! (Much to Cara's disgust)

[hvndredbattles]

repost and rate your muse's traits out of 10 in each category !

RICHIE ARDEN.

COMPASSION. 4/10*. Richie's general capacity for empathy is relatively low. Compassion is something he still has to make a very conscious effort for, and he doesn't often know what to do for it. I think some of the clearest moments of compassion you'll see from him are things he will do for the dying.

He does have his own little ways of showing he cares, in his own way. Making sure his boys have eaten. Relative leniency on approving leave, where he can. Insisting on at least one inspection of injuries himself, even if they were seen to by someone else. (And I don't write him in a romantic relationship or choose to ship him by default, but he does learn other forms of compassion and connection and expressing care as the relationship deepens.)

BITTERNESS. 4/10. Less bitter and more a bleak realist. The bitterness kicks in after his Arc 2, when his government betrays him and he loses his team. But it's not pervasive in his life in the sense that it colors everything? Bitter about losing his boys, and bitter about being stabbed in the back, but that does not mean that he expects as much from everyone else now.

HAPPINESS. 5/10. Honestly just a very neutral guy. Neither prone to great joy nor great sorrow.

POLITENESS. 5/10. He is aware of when it would be wise to hold his tongue, and aware of social convention and manners. It's something of a tossup as to whether or not he'll actually acknowledge and act on said awareness. He's got enough sense not to talk back to a superior, but if there's no respect there, he will absolutely be brusque and intentionally ignore things like pleasantries.

I want to say there's an element of "doesn't care enough to pry" in some of what reads as his politeness. For instance, he won't ask about scars in part because that's Not Something You Do, and in part because it's not behavior he wants to encourage (doesn't want someone thinking that's something he'll tolerate directed his way), but also he just. Doesn't care enough about the "story" to ask? And then once he gets to know someone and develops a relationship of some form with them, there's a respect for privacy he won't broach.

MORALITY. 5/10. His work, by default, has him often operating in the grey. But even before that, he never felt particularly compelled by morality. It's more a set of rules he operates by because it is easier to do so. He has lines he won't cross because of his internal moral compass, of course, mostly revolving around women and children; even these are wibbly. But I would not call him a particularly moral man.

PRIDE. 7/10. Prideful, but I would argue in some odd ways. Not easily humiliated, even when that is solely, specifically, viciously the goal. But also not a braggart. He knows he's good at what he does. He's confident in the knowledge that he's good at what he does. But you also won't hear him willy-nilly discussing his work or his successes.

He would maybe rather die than beg, given specifically those two options. It might depend on the day.

HONESTY. 6/10. Honest with an edge, sometimes. But also inclined toward the conversational redirect to avoid answering questions or addressing topics he'd rather not. More honest professionally than personally. Very much an omissions and withholding sort, particularly when it comes to himself.

BRAVERY. 10/10. Occupational hazard, bravery. Being brave and running toward the injured and the violence and destruction tend to go hand-in-hand.

RECKLESSNESS. 5/10. You would think, perhaps, that bravery and recklessness go hand-in-hand? And yet. Has he made decisions against his better judgement? Gone headfirst back into a situation with terrible odds to finish a mission, or rescue one of his own? Yes. However, one does not get to a point of leading teams by lacking good judgment and the wisdom of when to say no to ill-advised courses of action.

AMBITION. 7/10. Less personal ambition and more professional ambition and drive. The ambition of Getting Shit Done.

LOYALTY. 10/10. Loyal to a fault. Loyal to people, first, but his loyalty to his country is nothing to scoff at either. The man has literally been tortured and held onto highly classified information. He would kill for, and die for, his loyalties.

LOVE. 3/10. Love is another one of those things Richie does not have much capacity for. Not that he would not say he loves people— he does love his family, and in rare circumstances, could even come to love a romantic partner. But it is not love in the way he hears other people describe. He simply doesn't connect with people on that level. It's part of why it's so easy for him to leave his old life behind at the end of his Arc 2, going into Arc 3. Almost an, out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

(And yet, I want it on record that the two ships he does have? Love on Richie looks a lot like obsession. Love becomes a "I am not leaving first. You will have to tell me you're done with me" thing.)

SENSE OF FAMILY. 4/10*. In line with his difficulty with emotional attachments (love and the like), his sense of family is not particularly strong. He has one, certainly, and they're on good terms. But he feels no obligation to them, and rarely feels a particular pull toward them that is distinguishable from any pull he feels toward anyone else he has more than a passing relationship with. That being said, his niece is, without a doubt, the exception to the rule. He showers her with gifts, has left much of his estate to her in his will, and would do anything for her.

ATTRACTIVENESS. 8/10. I'd call him ruggedly handsome. The scars are an allure for some, and a warning off for others.

AGILITY. 8/10. He has to be, for his occupation. It's something he puts a concentrated effort into maintaining. But a fighter's agility, not a dancer or acrobat's agility. Strikes fast strikes true, strikes hard.

SEX DRIVE. 7/10. Not something he acts on so regularly after he leaves his twenties, but still a higher-than-average sex drive. Higher when he has a regular sexual partner. Lower when the work wears him thin.

[quantumlogician]

" For what purpose would you need such a thing? Are we low on rations? "

It feels ill-advised, but in a pinch, he supposes it's not a terrible substitute. " I'd have to file through existing resources on the ship to see if we have enough composite to bond with artificial fuel sources. Though, I would not align with wishful thinking it can sustain all crew-mates on board. "

"I had been thinking back to the formula for Synthetic Energon."

"With a sample of such a source of fuel, how likely would you be of replicating it?"